Adjustable hat



May 27, 1941 F. os'roLAzA ET AL 2243,35?

ADJUSTABLE HAT Filed Feb. 16, 1940 2 Sheets-'Sheet l JOINT INVENTOPS FRANK Qs-roLAzA &

GLENN E. HoLM s -BY/Mz ATTORNEY.

May 27 1941- F. osToLAzA ETAL A2,243,357

ADJ US TABLE HAT Filed Feb. 16:, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

`10|N1' INVNTORS FRANK OsroLAzA 8. GLENN E.

Patented May 27, 1941 ADJUSTABLE, HAT

Frank Ostolaza and Glenn Mo., assignors to Mex E. Holmes, St. Louis,

ican American Hat Company, St. Leuis, Mo., a corporation of Missouri Application February 16, 1940, Serial No. 319,325

2 Claims.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in adjustable hats the peculiarities of which will be hereinafter full described and claimed.

This invention has reference particularly to means for causing a hat band to contract and expand, and in doing so causes a similar contraction and expansion of the hat so that it will lit various head sizes.

We are aware of previous inventions in adjustable hats in which the prior art discloses adjustable bands and devices for the adjustment of hats to several sizes; likewise of various means used to secure such desired results. We do not therefore lay claim to the use of hooks or pins or holders disclosed by the prior art and used to retain a hat band in a fixed position at the base of the crown; nor of pads or other means for reducing the size of the sweat band and having no contractive action upon the hat itself.

Our object in the present'invention is to provide means rst, to cause the outwardly encircling hat band to contract or expand and thus react to tighten or loosen respectively upon the hat, so as to vary its size in order to fit various head sizes; second, to conne the actual contraction and expansion movement of the hat band to a denite outwardly encircling portion of the hat band; third, to permit the desired lengthwise relative movement of the hat band and hat in producing such tightening and loosening effect upon the hat without causing a tendency to shift or creep upwardly on the hat; fourth, to form a hat band having a portion of its length rigid lengthwise, and the balance capable of contraction and expansion respectively to produce a corresponding reactive effect on the hat in connection with the rigid portion; fifth, to form a flexible hat band with a vertically rigid Secondary strip, either hidden by the band proper or exposed for decorative effect, combined with devices permitting lengthwise circumferential movement of portions of the hat band relative to the hat while obstructing the hat band from moving upwardly; and other features of construction hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings in which like reference numerals indicate corresponding parts,

Fig. l represents a perspective View of a hat having our improvements applied thereto, part of the hat band proper -being broken away to show a secondary vertically stiifening strip and a hook device on the hat slidably engaging said stripto prevent a relative movement upwardlyof thel hat band;

Fig. 2, an enlarged detail view of the hat band proper with a take-up device on its adjacent ends, and the vertically stilening secondary strip yhidden behind it and connected by its ends thereto;

Fig. 3, a detail'vertical section of the base of a hat and adjacent rim portion; and an outwardly encircling hat band proper combined with a secondary strip hidden behind it next to the base of the hat, and one of several downward hook devices carried by the hat and engaging said strip;

Fig. 4, a similar view showing the hat band proper arranged next to the hat, the secondary strip positioned outside and attached to, the hat band proper, and a hook device carried by the hat and hooking over said strip from below and outside the hat band;

Fig. 5 a detail view showing a horizontal section of the base of the hat with our outwardly encircling hat band, a pair of hook devices slidably engaging the combination hat band, and a fixed hold-down device riveted through the strip and hat at a point diametrically opposite the take-up device;

Fig.'6, an enlarged vertical sectional View on the line 6--6 of Fig. 5, showing said fixed holddown device;

Fig. 7, a view similar to Fig. 5 showing how the hat band may be directly attached to the hat at one or more places to secure more rigid construction;

Fig. 8, an enlarged vertical section on the line 8 3 of Fig. 7, showing such direct attachment;

Fig. 9, a sectional plan View of the hat showing the outer iiexible hat band proper in the form of a flattened tube embracing the hat and enclosing the stiffenng secondary strip, and both held down by hook devices as in Fig. 7, and having portions of the tube broken away to show the ends of the secondary strip secured to the tube, and a hook engagement with the inner strip;

Fig. l0, an enlarged vertical sectional View on liliB Fig. 9 on the order of Fig. 6 showing a downward hook device similar to that shown in Figs. 1 and 3, engaging the secondary strip through openings in the outwardly encircling tubular band proper; and

Fig. 1l, a sectional plan view of the hat as in Figs. 5, 7 and 9 showing the inner secondary strip extending throughout substantially the full length of the outer hat band proper and attached thereto, and made of bendable sheet'material with its ends folded backward through a link to act as a tension retainer.

Referring t9 the drawings, the numeral I indicates the base of the crown of a hat adjacent the rim and made of woven straw, felt or other suitable material.

outwardly encircling said base is a hat band proper consisting of the usual fabric or other material suitable for a hat band proper 2, the adjacent ends of which are connected by a tension device in the form of a plate link, buckle or other suitable device 3, to tighten or loosen respectively the band to which it is applied.

The ordinary fabric band is stitched or otherwise fastened to the adjacent base portion of the hat to prevent its upward movement thereon, and it is thus substantially xed against lengthwise movement also.

In our construction, we provide a secondary band or strip of ber, Celluloid, light metal or similar rigid material 4, and attach it byv rivets I to the hat band proper, either behind it as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 for example, or otherwise as will later appear. This secondary strip is thus attached by its ends or other definite points in its length to the hat band proper, and when rit is of lesser length than the hat band proper as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, it leaves the balance of the hat band proper unattached except by the buckle or other tension device. This secondary strip is bendable horizontally and conforms readily to the shape of the hat, but is rigid vertically; and being attached to the hat band proper at multiple points, confers a similar vertical rigidity to that portion of the hat band .proper which is otherwise more or less subject to wrinkles or folds under manipulation of a tension device connecting its ends as indicated. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the ends of the hat band proper are free to engage the buckle or other tension device without any impediments. The combination hat band also assists in retaining the shape of the base of the hat which it encircles and is prevented from creeping upward thereon by downwardly projecting hook devices 5, Fig. 1, or other means connecting the hat and the secondary strip by sliding engagement therewith which'allows portions of the hat and band to move lengthwise relative to each other in the contraction or expansion of the ends when respectively tightened or loosened to vary the hat size as desired to make the corresponding head size.

As shown in Fig. 3, this downward hook device is positioned between the outer band portions and the secondary strip 4 which lit engages, is concealed by the outer band proper, and prevents upward movement at all points of 'the hat band proper and strip to which it is attached as stated. Such hold-down devices are positioned at various points in the length of the secondary strip and stop any tendency of the strip and hat band proper to move upward on `the base of the hat, while allowing relative lengthwise movement under operation of the tension device.

In Fig. 4, the hook device 5' is also carried by the hat but extends under the combined hat band proper and its stifiening secondary strip 4 which latter, as shown in Fig. 4, is positioned outside of the hat band proper which is engaged at the top `Joy the downward hook portion of 5.

Since the tension device connecting the ends of the encircling hat band, exerts a tightening or loosening effect in opposite directions upon the connected ends, and causes relative lengthwise movement of portions of the combined hat band, the diametrically opposite point of the hat band from the tension device may have no movement,

and ffor greater security a r-ivet B may be used at said point to connect the secondary strip directly to the hat as shown in Figs. 7 and 8.

The downward hook device 1 in Figs. 5 and 6 is mounted on a similar rivet 6 and extends at a in rigs. 5, '1, 9 and 11.

`In Figs. 9 and 10 the rigid secondary strip 4 is enclosed in a flattened tubular iiexible hat band proper 2 provided with openings 9 for the reception of downward hooks 5 engaging the stiffening strip 4 as shown in Fig. 10. In Fig. 9 the ends of the enclosed strip 4 are secured to the tube by rivets, while the unattached portion of the outer flexible tubular hat band proper between the spaced-apart ends of the strip 4, are connected by a tension device or buckle 3 as before statedl The downward hook device 8, Fig. 9, embraces the outer tube to hold down the hat band combination; or the form of hook 5 may be used directly engaging the stiiening strip 4 as shown in Fig. 10. Any suitable hold-down device for the combination hat band as above described, may be used, either one having a slidable engagement with the secondary strip, or the hat band proper, or a combination of the same, may be used to prevent upward movement at the points of the hat band where relative sliding movement occurs as above described. A similar sliding engagement of a downward hook device may be used at a point diametrically opposite a buckle or other tension device where we have described the location of the xed rivet 6, if so desired.

Referring to Fig. 11, the secondary strip 4 in this figure extends substantially the whole length of the hat band proper and beyond it so the ends of said strip can pass through the link 3 and be folded backward and thus take up the tension thereon. The strip 4 being of sheet metal or of light pliable material such as aluminum, tin or ber, can be folded back at its ends to form a retainer, with or without a buckle or other device in combination therewith.

When the secondary strip is disposed outside of the hat band proper as in Fig, 4, it may serve as a decorative feature While performing the other functions herein described.

Thus it will appear that our adjustable hat band is made rigid vertically in the larger portion of its length, or its full length, by our secondary vertically rigid strip of sheet material attached at multiple points to the hat band proper and controlled by hooks, pins, or other device carried by the hat to stop the hat band as a whole, or any portions of it, from moving upwardly from its desired position at the base of the crown adjacent the rim.

We do not confine ourselves to the construction herein shown and described except by the appended claims.

Having thus fully described our invention what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

-varying contractive pull in varying the hat size,

and to prevent upward creeping movement of the hat band upon the hat.

2. An adjustable hat band comprising a band proper in the form of a exible attened tube having openings for reception of hook devices connecting the hat and a stiiening secondary strip enclosed in said tube and characterized by being rigidly sti upwardly and bendable horizontally to conform to the hat and attached to said band proper, and hook devices carried by the hat and slidably engaging the secondary strip to prevent upward creeping movement of the hat band relative to the hat and allow relative circumferential movement of the hat and hat band.

FRANK OSTOLAZA. GLENN E. HOLMES. 

